Conventional flat commercial roof structures normally utilize insulation boards or panels fixedly secured beneath the external layer of the roof structure which commonly comprises any one of a variety of conventional rubber roofing materials such as, for example, EPDM or ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber. One such conventional insulation board or panel, for use in conjunction with commercial flat roof structures, is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is generally indicated by the reference number 100. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, the conventional insulation board or panel 100 is usually eight feet (8.00″) in length, four feet (4.00′) wide, and one and one-half inches (1.5″) thick. More particularly, the insulation board or panel 100 comprises a central core 102 comprising a closed-cell non-absorbent foam, and a pair of rugged cardboard sheets 104,106 which are disposed upon the opposite upper and lower faces of the central core 102 such that the insulation panel or board 100 effectively comprises a laminated structure. Unfortunately, with the use of such conventional flat commercial roof structure insulation boards, if a water leak develops, viable technology is not currently available to detect such leaks in order to minimize damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures. A yet further need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water. Still an additional need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water, and wherein the water leak detection system is relatively simple in structure. Yet an additional need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water, and wherein the water leak detection system is relatively economical to install. Another need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water, and wherein the water leak detection system is adaptable to different flat commercial roof structures which may have various adjunctive structures operatively associated with the roof structure. Still another need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water, and wherein the water leak detection system is capable of embodying different forms in order to satisfy the various different needs of different roof structures and the installation costs thereof.
Still yet another need exists in the art for a new and improved water leak detection system which can be used within, or in conjunction with, flat commercial roof structures so as to detect water leaks as soon as possible so as to, in turn, minimize any potential damage to the roof, as well as to other structural and/or insulation components of the overall roof structure, due to the absorption or migration of the water, and wherein the water leak detection system is capable of being detected and communicated to a monitoring station which can, in turn, notify maintenance personnel that a water leak has in fact been detected and needs to be repaired.